JD Vance Accused Of Desperate Attempt To Be 'Relatable Again', 'Sounds Like A Terrible Father' Over Joke

The viral life of a meaningless internet trend is a bizarre thing to witness, but few could have predicted it would reach such a fever pitch that it provoked an active US Vice President to publicly question the First Amendment. Yet, that is precisely the curious saga that unfolded recently when Vice President JD Vance vented his parental frustration over the baffling 'six seven' phenomenon, only to find himself instantly thrust into a political firestorm.

Vance, 41, who shares three young children—Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 3—with his wife Usha, offered a moment of unexpected candour on X (formerly Twitter). As the current Vice President, a title he has held since January 20, 2025, his social media activity is scrutinised relentlessly.

He detailed a maddeningly familiar scene in his personal life, revealing that the relentless chant had driven him to plead, however facetiously, that the numbers 6 and 7 be 'banned forever.'

For those blissfully unaware, the 'six seven' trend has been an auditory plague driving parents and teachers to distraction across the United States. Its origin is just as baffling as its staying power, seemingly bubbling up from rapper Skrilla's tune, Doot Doot (6 7), where the simple numbers are repeated several times.

While the meme's meaning is largely nonsense to the children chanting it, the original song's lyrics have been linked to a reference about a six-foot-seven-inches tall basketball player, or possibly 67th Street in Chicago.

Whether it refers to the height of a basketball player or an obscure street in Chicago, the context is irrelevant to the young minds who have adopted it as a meaningless, universal war cry.

The incident that sparked the Vice President's public exasperation occurred at church, transforming a moment of solemnity into an impromptu family drama.

JD Vance's Viral Parent Problem

In a widely shared post, Vance recounted the scene with his middle child, Vivek: 'Yesterday at church, the Bible readings started on page 66-67 of the missal, and my 5-year-old went absolutely nuts repeating 'six seven' like 10 times,' he wrote.

The post was framed as a classic 'dad joke,' an exhausted parent's over-the-top plea for mercy. He followed the anecdote by stating, 'And now I think we need to make this narrow exception to the First Amendment and ban these numbers forever.'

For millions of parents across the country, the frustration was instantly relatable. The widespread annoyance has even led to bizarre countermeasures, with schools implementing rules to penalise students who utter the number in class, and restaurants like In-N-Out Burger removing '67' from their ordering systems after being swamped by teenagers.

The comment section quickly filled with solidarity, proving that the 'six seven' trend is one of the few issues capable of transcending America's fierce political divide. One mother commiserated, 'Someone on a podcast said '6, 7 year' and it activated my 12-year-old like he was a sleeper agent. I agree. Ban it. For the good of us all.' A second user cheered the moment of bipartisan unity, saying the issue 'should unite Republicans and Democrats.'

However, for a high-ranking official like the Vice President of the United States, no public comment—no matter how transparently a joke—can escape the gravity of politics.

Why JD Vance's Joke Sparked a Free Speech Row

Despite the clear comedic intent, the post immediately drew a fierce backlash from commentators who deemed the reference to the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, inappropriate coming from the nation's second-highest office.

The criticism centred not on the trend itself, but on the perceived 'unseriousness' of the man occupying the Vice Presidency.

'I know it's a joke, but the Vice President of the United States advocating for the restriction of freedom of speech is pretty inappropriate,' protested one user on the platform. Another scoffed at the perceived absurdity of the Vice President's focus: 'Are you hearing yourself? You're gonna try to ban a NUMBER because kids are saying it as a joke?'

The furore quickly expanded beyond a simple disagreement over humour and into a broader critique of the current administration's tone. A fifth user huffed, 'The most unserious administration of all time. Two dudes obsessed with trying to be funny on Twitter while completely f------ up the country. Beyond laughable,' referencing both Vance and President Donald Trump.

The pile-on continued with personal attacks, as another critic lamented the politician's attempt to connect with the public: 'J.D. tries to be relatable again, like when he told us Americans hated turkey. I've heard how you talk about your children; you sound like a terrible father.'

Ultimately, the viral spat serves as a striking microcosm of modern American politics: a trivial piece of pop culture can, in a heartbeat, be weaponised into a debate over constitutional rights, competence, and fitness for high office.

Even a simple, exhausted dad joke about page numbers in a missal is enough to remind Vice President Vance that in the world of high politics, there is simply no such thing as being 'just like every other parent.'